Taking the One
by Ellie Parker
Summary: Sequel to As the One! America is back, fighting for her son's life and for the country. She wants to do what she believes is right but can she do it without the support of the people she trusts most? She travels all around Illéa, uncovering shocking secrets in the history of the country, including the shocking discovery of who her husband really is.
1. Chapter 1

"_I am the designer of my own catastrophe." - Anonymous_

* * *

Aspen paced in the kitchen, reading the report a soldier had just dropped off for America. He continued reading as he climbed the narrow spiral staircase upstairs. America was just sitting up in bed, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. He pulled his boxers and pants on as she stretched. "What time is it?" she moaned.

"A little before seven. Officer Davis dropped this off for you," he told her, handing her the report. He sat next to her as she skimmed it.

"How hard is it to find one person? Especially when every single citizen knows what he looks like?" she questioned. She looked up and caught him staring at her exposed breasts and quickly reached for her robe to cover herself.

He cleared his throat. "We'll keep looking. It's a big country though; it'll take time."

"We don't have time!" she exclaimed, starting to pace, a trait that was wearing on Aspen's nerves. "Every day that passes is another day my son goes without his mother. He's being controlled by Clarkson and I don't want him to be raised by such an evil and unbalanced man." She collapsed in her desk chair.

"Your husband was raised by Clarkson," Aspen reminded her.

She rolled her eyes. "Mostly Amberly though." She shook her head. "I have to get over to the fort. Are you coming with me?" She walked over to her closet and pulled out a pair of jeans and a flannel shirt to change into.

He sat on the bed as she changed, watching her. "Let's talk theoretically. Say Maxon is still alive and we find him. What are you going to tell him when he finds out you've been shacked up with me for a month?"

"He's dead Aspen," she said in a steely voice.

"America, you found his tomb empty. He's either alive or someone ate his body for dinner …"

She spun and faced him. "I really don't want to talk about this Aspen! Okay? He's dead. That's it. Pretending otherwise won't get me my son back and won't accomplish anything else we're trying to accomplish. I don't know what I'd tell him. We didn't exactly leave off on good terms."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

She shook her head. "You wouldn't understand because you've never been married. Get dressed and I'll meet you at the fort." She slammed the door to her armoire shut and stormed out of her apartment.

Winter was settling in within the province of St. George. America wished she'd brought a coat with her but didn't remember to. Immediately after walking into her office in Fort Nixon – where she had made her new home. After finding Maxon's tomb empty, she sought out Aspen at his new post in St. George where she immediately assumed control of the fort. She needed manpower and firepower for her rebellion and also for her rescue mission.

Upon her arrival, she was confronted by Officer Rockwell but she was quick to quiet him. "Officer, I am quite overwhelmed as is this morning. Perhaps we can talk in an hour or so?"

He nodded. "Of course, Miss Constance." She froze at her fake name, still not quite used to it. She ran a hand through her short, messy blonde hair and frowned. "Anything else?"

"Yes, when you see Officer Leger, could you send him in to talk to me?"

"Unfinished business?" Officer Rockwell mumbled, snickering quietly.

She focused a fiery gaze on him. "Goodbye Officer," she said coldly. He stiffened at her tone and walked out, closing the door behind him. She was only alone for a few minutes before Aspen came in. "Sit, please." She motioned to the chair across from her desk. "I don't think we should see each other anymore."

He frowned. "What? It was your idea to use me as your sex toy in the beginning."

"Well I don't like the idea of it anymore. It's irresponsible and the officers are starting to talk. Not to mention how inconvenient it would be if I got pregnant seeing as the new king has cut off all contraception production." She looked back down at the documents sitting in front of her.

He coughed. "Actually, you getting pregnant isn't something we need to worry about."

"What? What do you mean? Are you on some sort of drug?"

"No, no." He shook his head and hesitated slightly. "When I got my physical done, back during the draft, they found that I can't…um…have kids."

She laughed. "Of course not. That's what women are for."

"No. I don't…work properly in order for me to make someone pregnant," he said, choosing his words carefully. Underneath his embarrassment, America could sense an overall sadness. Here she was searching the globe for her son and Aspen was struggling with the concept of never having children.

"Oh. Oh, Aspen…I'm sorry," she apologized, not knowing what else to say. "Did you ever ask if there were other options?"

He shook his head. "Not with our technology now. Back in the time of the United States I would have had options but not now."

"All the more reason to bring the States back. Now, any new reports for me?"

He was shaking his head when another officer stormed in. "Miss Constance, we have a lead on the king."

"Where?" she asked.

"Honduragua, the port city on the western coast." He approached the map hanging on the wall nearby. "Some of his most loyal guards were spotted here and heading toward there. It's not much – he probably isn't even there – but it is something. It could give us more information for the future."

"And how did you acquire this information?" she asked him.

He nodded to a man seated on a horse out in the courtyard. "We've had emissaries posted in all of the forts. They sent the information to the fort down the coast from us but they sent their own envoy for us."

She nodded and smiled at Aspen. "Looks like we're going to Honduragua."

**AAAAAHHHH! I'm so excited to have this first chapter up! I know it was short but they'll get longer, trust me. I have the storyline all mapped out – even though it will change indefinitely – and have of the chapters written already. **

**Since I didn't put it up top, I don't own anything to do with the Selection; all of that belongs to the wonderful and glorious Kiera Cass. **

**Anyways, thanks for checking out this book. If you're really confused and had absolutely no idea what's going on, I'll say again: this is the sequel to As the One so if you haven't read that go read it now and then read this one.**

**Cool? Cool. Reviews would be awesome!**


	2. Chapter 2

_"I loved her not for the way she danced with my angels but for the way the sound of her name could silence my demons." - Christopher Poindexter_

* * *

America studied the map in front of her at the corner of the street. "The police station is down here," she told Aspen as she pointed to the road on her map. "La Calle Luna," she read, struggling with her Spanish.

Aspen nodded. "So we make a right onto this road, ride two blocks and then make a left?" He traced the route with his finger.

She checked. "Yeah, that looks good." They rode their rented bikes down the cobblestone roads, avoiding the pot holes. The streets were so narrow America wondered how anyone drove in the small city and couldn't help but stare every time they saw a car driving down the road.

They drove past a small shop and America stopped a few feet past it. "Hey, Aspen, I need to use the bathroom. I'll be right back."

He nodded. "You need me to go with you?"

"I think staying out here would suffice," she assured him, jumping off her bike and leaning it against the teal-painted building. She walked inside the stuffy store and looked around, looking for any sign for the bathrooms. She was trying to recall the way to ask where the bathroom was in Spanish when someone started speaking to her in Spanish.

She turned and saw a man standing at the register, his back to her as he arranged a display behind the counter. "Um…Puedo ir al baño?" she asked tentatively.

"En el vestíbulo, derecha segunda," he answered.

She bit her lip and hesitated. "Qué?"

He sighed and laughed. "Turistas." He shook his head. "Down the hallway, second right," he said in perfect English. There wasn't even a hint of a Spanish accent. Who was he calling her a tourist? He turned to get a look at her and stopped cold. "No way," he breathed.

She shook her head. "What?" she asked, wondering what he was staring at. She looked him in the eye and realized the reason for his amazement. She would recognize those eyes anywhere. He had dyed his hair brown and had a well-trimmed beard and a tan but he couldn't change his eyes. They were the same eyes her son had. The same eyes her supposedly dead husband had. "Maxon," she whispered.

He glanced at the door. "No, it's Damon," he corrected.

"You've been here this whole time?" she asked.

He shrugged, slightly nonchalant. "I speak the language pretty well…thought it would be a good place to lie low…" his voice trailed off at the gaze she had fixed on him. "You dyed your hair."

"Thought it would be a good way to lie low." Old anger boiled up inside her. "You just left without a single word to anyone, not even Christian or your mother. This is all your fault," she accused.

"No, Mer…"

"It's Constance," she cut him off. "I don't need the bathroom after all," she snapped, turning on her heel to walk out.

He dashed around the counter and pulled her back by the elbow. "No, don't go. I need to explain."

"Let go of me," she sneered. "Or I'll alert my guard standing right outside. I'm sure he'd love to know what has happened to his king." She pulled her arm free painfully and stormed out. Aspen was leaning against the wall whistling when she pushed past him on the narrow sidewalk. She got on her bike and ignored his questioning stare.

"What's wrong?" he asked, scrambling to get on his bike and to follow her. Maxon stood at the entrance to the shop and watched them ride down the street, the only thing preventing him from chasing after her was the painful memory of the picture of her kissing that guard.

She stopped to let a car drive across an intersection and looked at Aspen with tears in her eyes. "He's alive," she told him. "I knew it. I knew it from the beginning but I never really dared to hope because…because I didn't know where to find him. But I know now for sure that he's alive. And that he abandoned me." The tears started falling freely.

Aspen put a hand on her shoulder. She wiped the tears away angrily. "It's whatever though. I don't care anymore. I wanted an answer, I got it…now I can move on." She nodded to herself and rode her bike across the intersection, down to the main gate of the city.

He followed behind her quietly, knowing that she needed the space. Then he said, "I know you don't want to hear this, but I warned you about this from the start. I told you the guy is a phony."

She shook her head. "There's no way. You can't just act like you feel that way about someone."

"It's what he was born to do. It's how all royalty is. They are raised and taught how to be this other person in front of the cameras," he insisted.

She turned on him. "And what about behind the cameras? You're saying that he pretended then? What we did in our studies…in our bedroom, where no one is allowed to enter without our express permission…that was all an act?" she questioned. "And if what you're telling me is true, that someone really can be that falsely sincere, then how can I know that you're not doing the same thing?" Then she realized something. "That's it. You've been telling me all of this the whole time to drive a wedge between Maxon and me."

"Mer…" he started.

She pushed past him and started to hike up the big hill. "You've been feeding me all of this bullshit because you felt threatened. You knew that once I fell for Maxon you'd never get me back. I bet you let King Clarkson into the palace yourself!" she accused.

"Don't get extreme," he warned.

She laughed darkly before she heard a loud boom from somewhere in the city. She saw smoke hovering over the water by the gate. She ran down to the sea wall with Aspen right behind her. Looking up the cliffs and past the trees, she saw the elementary school on fire. "Oh my god," she whispered, abandoning her bike and running back through the gate and up the hill to the school.

"Mer! Mer, wait!" Aspen called, running after her desperately.

People started running away from the burning school, forcing America to push through the crowds. She jumped up on the tall stone wall that dropped onto jagged sea cliffs forty feet below on the other side and ran, avoiding the crowd. There were teachers dragging students out and from what she could tell the school was for young children.

"Niños en la escuela!" a hysterical woman ran up to America, telling her. "Ayudarles!" she shouted, her face covered in soot.

America dropped back down to the sidewalk but realized she would never be able to go through the doors to the school to get it; too many people were running out. The back of the school was burning and there had to be kids stuck back there. She climbed onto a low-lying branch that was from a tree in the play yard on the side of the school.

She dropped on the roof, watching her footing as she ran to the back of the school. The flames were licking at the roof, telling her that the roof would give out at any moment. She slid down a sloped section of the roof to the ground and kicked in the closest window. She jumped through and was stuck in a room full of smoke.

When she was inside, all she could hear was her own pounding heart, the roar of the fire, and the screaming kids. The door to the classroom was locked from the inside and she cursed. She picked up a few books and hurled them at the window and was able to slide through the narrow opening to the hallway.

The smoke was stuck in her lungs, making it hard to breathe. She made it to the next room and found a room full of children with no teacher. They gathered around her immediately but she noticed one girl looking faint. "Lo que está mal?" she asked the closest kid.

"Tiene asma!" a little girl with a nametag that said Loren answered. "No puede respirar bien!" She cuffed a hand around her throat to demonstrate, gathering that America didn't know a lot of Spanish.

America nodded and picked up the little girl in her arms. She wished Aspen had kept up with her when she felt the girl's weight. She was no Christian. America took off, leading the kids to the front of the school. A teacher was there and she immediately took the little girl from America. Without even thinking twice, America dashed back to get the rest of the kids in other classrooms.

She was definitely wheezing from the smoke now but she couldn't stop; she had to save those kids. It was harder to keep up with them this time as they ran down the hallway. She was just in sight of the doors when she started to have tunnel vision. Then she passed out in the burning hallway.

**Yay, chapter 2! So excited! Don't forget what I said about the whole question thing. If you missed it, I said in the author's note for this book (the one that was up for approximately three weeks but I deleted to make room for the story that now I'm thinking I shouldn't have deleted after all) that if you have a question that's really awesome or quirky or really relates to this Fanfic, I will answer it before the chapter in addition to the quote. Questions can be anything from "Why did America have to sleep with Aspen in chapter one?" to "What's your hobby outside of writing, sleeping, eating and going to school?" (BTW, it's photography, snowboarding, being a hippie and working out =D) So yeah, I think that's all for now. **

**Just be totally awesome people and review. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Questions: **

**Why are Aspen and America sleeping together? and Why didn't Maxon try to find America? - aaaahhh. Patience young grasshoppers, all will be revealed in due time.**

**Do you watch Vampire Diaries? - Yes! I'm not as into it as I was a couple years ago but I still keep up with it. On the other hand, I love love LOVE the new show on the CW, Reign. I am shamelessly addicted to it.**

**What kind of camera do you have? - I have a Canon Rebel T3. I use the 55mm lens but I also have a 300mm lens which is my baby. I take pictures for my school for football, basketball, dance team and track. I love my camera and I hope to get some underwater gear at some point too. I'll post some of my pictures on here if you want. :)**

**How's life? - Great! I'm super-duper busy but that's the way I like it. I just got accepted into my number two choice of college today so that's pretty awesome. I've also been accepted into one of my safety schools and I'm waiting to hear from my top choice and two others. So yeah, life's good.**

* * *

_"If you've never lost your mind, you've never fallen in love." - Anonymous_

* * *

America woke, instantly disoriented. The ceiling above her was a dull green plaster, with the same color walls. The floors were a hideous orange tile. The bed was comfortable enough. She knew that there was no way she was in the hospital but besides that, she had no idea where she was. Noticing how she was dressed, she yanked the covers up to cover her bare stomach. Someone had loaned her their baggy sweatpants but that was all she had on besides her sports bra and underwear.

The door burst open suddenly and Aspen walked in. "Mer, you're awake!" he exclaimed, cutting off whatever he was saying before.

Maxon appeared behind him. It took America a few seconds to remember that it was him, due to his radically different appearance. He pushed past Aspen and sat down on the bed next to America, who shrank away from him slightly. "I was so worried," he told her quietly.

"Yeah, so worried you decided to bring me here instead of the hospital," she snapped. "When can we be leaving?" She said it as she sat up but put a hand against her head at the sudden rush of vertigo. She immediately sank back down against the pillows.

"I don't want to leave until you're one hundred percent again," Aspen told her, taking a few steps in the room and standing with his hands resting on the footboard of the bed. He had changed his clothes too. "You inhaled a lot of smoke so you'll probably be feeling pretty sick for a few days. You're lucky Maxon found you so quickly."

She frowned. "You're right, I don't feel too good," she admitted, feeling slightly nauseous.

Maxon's eyes flashed to her stomach and then met her eyes again. He looked like he was going to say something but decided not to. "I'll get you some water," he said. He stood and reached out his hand to brush her hair back but thought better of it and passed it off like he had an itch by his ear.

That left her with Aspen. "I don't want to be here," she whispered to him angrily.

He looked sympathetic. "I know, but it's not like we can take you to the hospital." He paused. "They know you're here. Someone leaked information and said that the queen is in the city. Everyone is looking for you."

She rolled her eyes. "Great," she mumbled.

"C'mon, Maxon cooked breakfast." Aspen held out his hand and helped her out of bed. Once on her feet, she instantly felt sick.

"I'm gonna puke," she told him as she covered her mouth and started looking for the bathroom. He pointed her in the right direction and she sprinted there before becoming violently ill. Aspen stayed out and she vaguely remembered him mentioning that he was never good with throw up.

She had made sure that she locked the door behind her and Maxon was soon knocking. "Ames, you okay in there? Breakfast is hot," he told her through the old wooden door.

Most of the nausea had passed, leaving her drained. She searched the bathroom counter for something to freshen her breath with. She had no idea where her toothbrush was and she didn't want to use his with her mouth being so gross (she had used his toothbrush before) so she grabbed the mouthwash and gurgled it for a few seconds before exiting. She smiled at him to assure him that she was fine. Hopefully he didn't hear her throwing up. Before going to the kitchen, she slid on a pair of jean shorts and shirt from her backpack sitting at the foot of the bed.

When she sat down at the table, he placed a plate of eggs, sausage, bacon and pork in front of her. The smell made her want to run back to the bathroom. "Oh," she sighed. She pushed the plate away slowly. "I forgot to tell you; I'm a vegetarian."

Both Aspen and Maxon looked at her. If there were two people on the earth she could not lie to, they were it. "Since when?" Maxon asked.

She laughed. "Uh, since when? Since now. I mean, c'mon, think of the innocent pig that had to die for this meal," she explained. She knew they were not buying it.

"Please, you eat so much meat you could be a carnivore. Eat your breakfast," Aspen nodded to her.

"You know, I'm really not hungry. I think I'm going to go for a walk." She threw her napkin on the table and was out the door before either of them could stop her. She walked down the streets, hoping to find another one of those pharmacies. She found one and picked up the item she needed and took it to the cash register.

The teenager behind the register looked at her and twirled her gum. "Do I know you?" she asked America.

America focused on her. "Oh, um, I don't think so." She looked out the front windows to make sure neither of the guys had followed her.

"No, I definitely know you from somewhere. Are you famous?" The girl was studying her intently.

"Kind of," America hedged. "Look, can you just check me out, please?" The girl shrugged and placed the item in a bag. America handed over a five dollar bill and left it on the counter. "Keep the change," she told the girl.

As soon as she stepped out the door, Maxon had her cornered. "What?" she demanded, rolling her eyes.

He put his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "Why get that test if you already know?" he asked her, nodding to the bag in her hand.

So he knew. How did he know? "I need confirmation," she said in a tight voice. "How do you know?"

"America, I'm not an idiot. I changed you out of your clothes yesterday and I know your body better than anyone else. I also know how my clothes fit on you. And I heard you getting sick this morning." He paused. "Do you know who the father is?"

She frowned, instantly going on the defensive. "What do you mean? You, of course!"

"Well, for all I know, it could be Aspen. I have proof of you two being pretty cozy with each other during the Selection."

"Wait, what?" She knew that would come back to haunt her.

He nodded. "Yeah, you wanna know why I left? Because a paparazzi came to me with a picture of you two kissing. Obviously, you didn't need me as much as I thought you did." He turned on his heel and started walking back to his apartment.

She had no choice but to follow. "You're kidding right?" she demanded. "That was three years ago. Aspen wasn't even working at the palace the entire time we were married!"

"Well how do I know you two didn't have any other secret trysts right under my nose?" he asked her. And he had a point; she had been sleeping with Aspen for a month behind his back. But it was different. She thought Maxon was dead and she wanted someone to keep her warm at night.

"Because I do love you. I wouldn't hurt you like that."

He laughed. "But you had no qualms about it during the Selection."

"I don't want to fight with you anymore." She stopped walking and sat down in the middle of the street with her arms crossed to make a point.

He stayed on the sidewalk and gave her a condescending look. "Are you serious?" he asked. "What are you doing?" She did nothing except for look at him sideways. He sighed and walked to meet her in the middle of the street. He stood by her and gestured to where the street sloped down and led straight to the city walls and the ocean beyond. "This is ridiculous." After standing there for a few seconds, he finally sat down next to her.

They sat in silence for a while as the tropical breeze rushed past them. "What are we going to do?" she asked.

"About the baby? I hoped you would have an answer," he admitted.

"Well," she sighed, playing with the bits of sand underneath her, "we still have our son out there somewhere, and he needs us. We need him too."

He didn't look at her when he asked, "Why do you think our relationship has changed so much?"

"We were kids when we fell in love. We fell in love with strangers. When we got to know each other…it wasn't the same," she guessed, shrugging.

He looked over at her and this time she looked away. "I still want to try to be husband and wife again," he told her. "Maybe we didn't lose that love; we just need to rekindle it."

"How do we do that?"

He shrugged and offered no other answer. There was another pregnant pause before he said, "Aspen and I will go after Christian."

She looked at him suddenly. "What? Without me?"

"America, I'm not going to allow you to go traipsing all over the country while with child."

She stood suddenly and crossed her arms. Maxon stood too to match her height. "I don't care; I'm still going. He's my son too. This is my fault that it all happened. I need to go."

"Ames, this isn't your fault." He rolled his eyes.

"Where would the king be?" she asked, not bothering to argue with him anymore. "There are safe houses for the royal family all over the country, which one did he go to?"

Maxon paused and looked her up and down before starting to pace. "I don't know. He could be at any of them. The only thing I can think is that he's in the north; he's not fond of warm weather. That's why I thought it safest to come here."

"Yeah, yeah. We need a map or something of the country to look at and formulate a plan with."

He nodded and they both started walking back to his apartment. There was thick tension hanging between them as their silence grew louder. Once back at the apartment, they completely bypassed Aspen sitting at the kitchen table sharpening a knife. They went to Maxon's bedroom and he pulled the map he had hanging on his wall down.

Grabbing a marker, he drew a line starting at the northern border of Carolina to the northern border of Angeles, on the other side of the country. "He'd be anywhere north of this line," Maxon pointed. He started starring specific points in the map. "These are all of the safe houses in the northern provinces. Now, he wouldn't go any further north than this line because wherever he was going, he'd want to get there fast and settle." Aspen had come up behind them. "He knows that he'd have a three hour window before guards went looking for him so we're looking at one of the safe houses in this radius." He drew a big circle.

"That's a lot of mileage," Aspen commented. "We're all going?"

America held up a hand to stop Maxon from saying anything. "All three of us going." She looked up at Aspen. "By the way, I'm pregnant."

His mouth dropped open and he immediately looked at Maxon, who held up his hands defensively and shook his head. "Get used to her being like this for the next several months."

They both bypassed Aspen's still shocked expression and refocused on the map. "We should start here, in Hansport. There's a fishing town we can take a boat into there, only a few miles from the safe house. We'll work our way across the country from there," Maxon told them.

"Okay," America nodded. "Let's go."

**That's it for this chapter! I hope you liked it, review and post more questions please!**


	4. Chapter 4

**How old are you/What grade are you in? - I'll just say that I'm a senior, haha. Class of 2014! **

**Have you read the Hunger Games or Divergent? - Yes! Funny you ask; the reason it took me so long to update is because I neglected life for three days this past weekend due to the Divergent. I saw the Divergent trailer on YouTube and was like, "Wow, that looks like an awesome movie, why don't I go read the books?" which ultimately led to the negligence of life. I'm unashamed. Personally, I liked the Divergent better than the Hunger Games because I found that with the Hunger Games, everything was black and white, good or bad. The Divergent had such a more ethical battle in it; it made me think more. Either way, I am really stoked for both movies! (The ending of Allegiant had me all like 8-O)**

**Do you like bacon? - I tolerate it. I don't eat it by itself but I'll eat it in stuff. I used to be vegetarian but realized I love chicken and veal too much for that. I still don't do breakfast meat - neither bacon nor sausage! I know, I'm weird.**

**If I didn't answer your questions, it's because you'll find out if you keep reading!**

* * *

_"Second star to the right and straight on 'til morning!" - Peter Pan_

* * *

"Doesn't the smell of fish make you want to puke?" Aspen asked America as they jumped off their boat and on to the dock.

She rolled her eyes and tipped the boat driver, thanking him under her breath. Maxon stood with a small map in his hands, looking up at the town spread out in front of them at the base of a mountain range. "Compass?" he asked.

"That way's north." Aspen pointed.

"No, that way is north east."

America searched for a compass in her backpack and passed it over to Maxon. He held it up and nodded. "North east." He clapped Aspen on the shoulder. "Use the sun buddy." He pushed past Aspen as America followed, taking a deep breath.

"Taught you that in finishing school, did they?" Aspen called out.

Maxon laughed. "Actually it's common knowledge but it was reinforced in my _spec-ops_ training. Now, the safe house is somewhere behind those mountains."

America nodded. "Great. Let's go." She started walking but Maxon pulled her back by the elbow.

"No, no, no. We are not going anywhere tonight. We will be staying in that motel and getting a good night's sleep before we start hiking tomorrow," he told her.

"We're wasting time doing that. Why don't we hike as long as it is still light out, camp in hills, and then keep going as soon as the sun rises?" she challenged.

He rolled his eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you? I don't want you to overexert yourself and risk harming our child."

"You seem pretty convinced that it's your kid," Aspen suddenly said.

Maxon turned away from America and took a few steps toward Aspen. "You're telling me she's been unfaithful to me? That I have reason to doubt my wife's fidelity?"

"Maybe you do."

America tried to get between them. "Aspen, don't," she warned, knowing where it was going. But it was a train collision happening right in front of her and she was helpless to stop it.

"What is he talking about Ames?" Maxon asked her.

Aspen spoke up. "Look, man, she thought you were dead. She was lonely. I was there for her."

Maxon frowned at her, hurt evident in his eyes. All anger vanished when he saw America's defeated look. He wasn't mad at Aspen; he was betrayed by her. "Is it true?" he asked. "Ames?" he whispered, trying to get through to her.

"I didn't want to lie to you," she hedged. "But Aspen told me he can't get a girl pregnant!" A fisherman was carrying a crate of fish past them and turned to look at them suspiciously. "Okay, guys, we can pick this up later but I think we need to get moving."

America walked in front of them to the small hotel and got the keys for their room. As soon as they got in the room she threw up in the small bathroom. She heard Maxon come in behind her but she waved off his helping hand. Instead he perched on the linoleum tub, his elbows on his knees as he rubbed his jaw in frustration.

When she was done, she leaned against the toilet. "Maxon, I'm so sorry…"

"I just…I have one question," he said quietly. "What if you didn't find out I'm alive? What if I was really dead? What then?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. In St. George I was just trying to get through life day-by-day and find Christian. You were the last thing I was concerned about. Yeah, I knew there was a chance you were alive. I mean, c'mon, I saw your empty tomb and knew that your dead body didn't walk away. I was hoping that you were alive but I couldn't think like that. I had to think of my own survival."

"And Aspen? Where does he fit into it?"

She shrugged again. "He was there for me in a time where I didn't recognize the person I was seeing in my own reflection. He grounded me, balanced me out. I'll always be grateful to him for that but I can tell you that even if you were dead, I would never feel the same way about him as I feel about you."

He huffed and she could see tears in his eyes. "So why'd you do it? Why'd you sleep with him? If you're as over him as you say you are, why did you allow that attraction to grow into something so much more? Did you seriously discuss kids with him?"

"Yes but not because I wanted to have kids with him. I just brought up that we should be more careful. It's…not important. My relationship with him has always been irrelevant." She looked away, not being to stand the pained expression in his eyes anymore.

He sighed and leaned back, fiddling with a loose string on his pants. Yes, America was used to seeing him dressed down but not this casually. Not with a somewhat tattered shirt and slightly threadbare pants. It was like he and Aspen had switched wardrobes overnight. "So what we need now is to figure out where we're going from here."

"There's too much between us Maxon." She shook her head.

"But there's too much at work against us too. We need to be together to protect each other."

She frowned. "You mean you need to be with me to protect me?"

He shook his head. "That's not what I said." He searched for the right words. "Look, I love you America. I always have and I always will. I think we know by now that whatever you do I can't change that. But right now you have to understand that I'm separating myself from my emotions. That's the only way I can look past this mess."

She nodded. "I understand that. It's what we need to do for our own survival."

"And our son's."

"And our son's," she agreed. Aspen knocked on the door and poked his head in. When he saw that they were both in the bathroom he stepped in, the light making the buttons on his jacket sparkle.

He cleared his throat. "I got us some food…it's out here so, yeah." He lacked his usual confidence in the face of the awkward situation but America was thankful that he wasn't angry.

Maxon helped her to her feet. "You should eat; you're going to need strength." He recognized that familiar look in her eye from when she was pregnant with Christian.

She rolled her eyes and took a grudging bite from a loaf of bread, crossing her arms as she sat down on the bed. They ate quietly, only a few awkward words being spoken between them. They went to bed early, deciding that sleep was of the upmost importance. There was only one bed in the room, which obviously went to America. When Aspen barely voiced his curiosity over whether it'd be him or Maxon sleeping with him, Maxon shot him a look that should have killed him.

America curled up on her side, her back to Maxon. She listened to his breathing and knew just from that that he was still awake. On the floor in front of the door was Aspen, positioned and alert even in his sleep in case an intruder came in. The bed moved slightly and she heard Maxon moving the covers. Then she was aware of a sudden draft of warmth hitting her back. Maxon was close. Too close.

She sat up on her elbows. "What're you doing?" she demanded.

He frowned in defense. "You know I can't sleep on my back."

"Well sleep on your side over another two feet," she snapped.

He rolled his eyes. "As you wish, Your Majesty." He did a mini bow and moved over.

When it was barely light out though, and America woke up, surprised to not be sick. Was she really far enough along that it was gone? More startling though, Maxon was pressed against her. They were lying in their usual position, in the middle of the bed – because apparently royalty always slept in the middle, alone or not – with Maxon's arm draped over her stomach protectively. Enjoying the momentary peace and quiet and the warmth coming from her husband, she begrudgingly snuggled into him and went back to sleep for another couple hours.

**Man oh man. I hope you guys like it! again, sorry it's been a bit longer than normal. there was the whole abandonment of reality because the of the Divergent trilogy and then I've always had a pretty crappy week (i'm pretty sure i'm becoming an insomniac, in addition to being masochistic and an anarchist). So anyway, sorry again! Review and keep sending your questions! I'm having too much fun answering them!**


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